New WebSeries – FYKC 2019

Supped Up Cooking Classes

“taste” the SOUL-rolls

If you are thinking I am about to give you my infamous soul roll recipe that I served at the Taste of New Orleans this year. Then you might be correct if you get to the end of this blog and see it there. If not, then… I guess I tricked ya!

Keep reading to find out!

So first of all…. No.. I did not do this event in New Orleans. It been held the last 32 years, during fiesta, at Sunken Gardens in downtown San Antonio by the Zoo, if that’s helps. Same place as the Japanese Tea Garden. Thousands of people come to this event to get their fix of some of New Orleans style best alligator on a stick, spicy gumbo, huge blooming onions, and crawfish (yes…with the head still on), among tons more items people stand in enormous lines for. I might’ve had a line or two for my first appearance.

Anyhow…

I had the privilege of having my very own booth at this festival! How friggin cool, right!? Well. It was some work, I tell ya! The few people I did have to lend a hand busted their tails too. And what a genius idea of mine to have a tedious menu item that would be a hit if executed correctly. Which, once they caught on, was the hit of the show!

I made an EGGROLL stuffed with homemade mac and cheese with not one… not 2……but 3 cheeses, Cajun chicken featuring my RubOn! Salt free Cajun spice and bacon! I then smothered the, fried to golden perfection eggroll, with more mac sauce and garnished it with green onions and a sprinkle more of my RubOn! Salt free Cajun spice. I had more than one person tell me “Girl you are out of line for this one!”

I was humbled, once again.

Despite all the mishaps of unpreparedness, lack of funds, and lack of prior knowledge of the event my team and myself pulled it off. 3 days of frequenting bulk warehouse, restaurant depot, running through HEB, like I was back on Guys Grocery Games racing through the aisles.

This experience taught me loads, and you’d better believe I’m coming strong with the biggest hit of next year’s festival!

Those ROLLS FOR YA SOUL!

Now that you have stuck through this blog or even just scrolled on down to the bottom where you may or may not find the recipe…….and by recipe I mean a list of ingredients I used and good luck figuring out the amounts. Mas o menos. More or less. I want to teach yall through my blogs and videos, confidence in the kitchen to make anything, and not rely so much on a recipe. I will give you some tips on substituting, or even going without something. There will be times where I don’t have an ingredient or am just putting something together for development and when I translate it on here I want you to see and understand what I did and how I came up with the end product.

I will now give you the recipe.

It all started with a roux.

Equal parts clarified butter and flour

Clarified butter is just butter with the milk solids or, white bubbly stuff you get when you heat the butter up, removed to give you a clean form of butter.

I make a big batch of roux at a time and save it for any occasion where I might need a sauce or soup thickened.

About ½ cup roux**

Onion, small chopped

Garlic, small chopped

About 2-3 cups Milk or cream**

3 cheeses of choice, medium dice, reserve ¼ ***

RubOn! Garlic herb salt

Mac noodles, cooked

Grilled chicken thighs, seasoned with RubOn! Cajun Spice

Bacon, oven baked, small diced

Eggroll wrappers

Egg wash

Flour

Frying oil

**if your cheese sauce is too thin, use more roux. If it is too thick, use more milk

***if you have ever noticed the grittiness of some cheese sauce. Take sauce off the heating element as you’ve added the cheese or lower heat. Use better quality melty cheeses for best melt.

In pot melt roux, add onions and garlic until translucent. Add milk, simmer until hot. Add ¾ of diced cheese and turn heat down to low until all cheese is melted. Add seasoning and adjust.

Mix noodles, sauce together saving a little to the side. Add grilled chicken and bacon. When mac has cooled some, add the ¼ diced cheese you have set aside now.

Assembly

Wrapper with egg wash around 2 edges

Put a mound of mac mixture in center of the wrap

Use the typical fold over, tuck, tuck, roll method as eggrolls are, making sure there are no holes

Dip eggroll in flour to prevent sticking and add a little crunch

Serve with a little extra cheese sauce and chopped green onions for garnish